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Minister’s husband attacked at home

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By Violet Gonda

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Chris Mushonga, the husband of Minister Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, has been hospitalised after he was savagely attacked by armed robbers in his home on Thursday night. Misihairabwi-Mushonga is the Minister of Regional Integration and International Co-operation and currently part of the high level delegation of government ministers travelling with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to western countries.

A source told SW Radio Africa the medical doctor was at home with two family friends when a group of about seven armed robbers broke into his Mount Pleasant home in Harare. The source said a 4×4 vehicle, Mercedes Benz, laptops, money and cellphones are among the items believed to have been stolen by the robbers.

The thugs assaulted the three thoroughly, including using the butts of their guns. It is reported Dr. Mushonga, who is believed to be in his late 70s, got the most beatings as the gang demanded to know where he stashed his money. The source said Mushonga didn’t have a safe or money to give them and was seriously brutalised as a result. The three victims were then left locked up in the house. “Dr Mushonga is in a bad way and right now he cannot even remember his name,” said the source.

It’s reported the police were called immediately after the robbers sped off but said they could not go to the Minister’s house because they had no petrol. The ambulance service also failed to arrive.

Meanwhile, police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena told the website NewZimabbwe that 45 armed robbery suspects were freed by the courts on bail in the last two weeks and police believe some of them are behind this raid on the minister’s home. “We believe six people were involved in the robbery. They disarmed a police officer guarding the property. Once inside, they severely beat up Dr Mushonga and two other people before making off with an AK rifle, a Toyota Prado and two mobile phones,” Bvudzijena said.

We were not able to reach Minister Misihairabwi-Mushonga for comment. She was still in Brussels, Belgium on Friday afternoon where the government delegation was making preparations to travel to the United Kingdom, as part of the ‘re-engagement’ tour with the west.

There has been a huge increase in armed robberies, a sign of the general breakdown of the rule of law and decay in Zimbabwe.  SW Radio Africa

Miracle recovery of 'amazing Grace'

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A baby suffering from “incurable” meningitis made a miraculous recovery after her life-support machine was switched off, her mother has revealed.

Grace Vincent was just six weeks old when she was struck down with a rare form of the brain disease and rushed to hospital, where she spent four days in intensive care before her family, from Newcastle, took the agonising decision to switch off the equipment sustaining her tiny heart.

But her parents were stunned when, freed from the tubes, the tiny girl – now nicknamed “Amazing Grace” – began to breathe tentatively on her own.

She is now on her way to recovery and her senses of smell and and touch and her vocal ability are all returning.

Her loved ones know there could still be lasting damage from the bacterial infection Strep B which kills one in eight affected youngsters.

Her mother Emily Ashurst, 26, said Grace was born without complications on April 3. Her partner Pete Vincent, a 26-year-old marine, had just returned from Afghanistan and was settling back to family life when their daughter fell sick.

But on May 16 she was rushed to hospital after Ms Ashurst, a hospital worker at Newcastle General, found her distressed, with the tell-tale purple patches on her skin. Doctors knew immediately her condition was serious and she was diagnosed with an infection of late-onset Strep B (or CBS).

Four days later scans showed Grace had suffered “catastrophic brain damage”. Ms Ashurst said. “It was a bleak picture. The doctors said they’d never seen a girl as poorly as Grace. We came to the decision to switch off the machine on Wednesday. She was baptised on the Tuesday and all the family came to say goodbye.”

But that moment never came. By 4am she was still breathing and giving her mother feeding signals. She willingly took her bottle and fed, confounding medical staff.

Two weeks ago she was transferred to North Tyneside hospital where doctors still expected her to die, as her heart rate was fluctuating wildly, but she was finally discharged on Friday.  Press Association

Zanu PF politburo endorses Kariba draft

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By Never Kadungure (political editor)

The Zanu PF politburo on Wednesday confirmed long held fears by formally adopting the Kariba draft constitution as its reference document for the new constitution making process.

Although this draft was signed by both Zanu PF and the MDC in the holiday resort town of Kariba several years ago, civil society groups have said it basically entrenches Mugabe’s powers and will be a step back for democracy.

The Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe criticized the politburo’s endorsement of the Kariba Draft saying this sought to marginalize citizens from participating in national issues of governance.

‘Constitution making cannot be left to the politicians alone. The C.C.D.Z working with other civil society organizations demands an all-inclusive and broad process of coming up with a new democratic Constitution for the country,’ a statement read.

The group wants the Parliamentary Select Committee to make a clear statement that the views expressed by the people will be taken seriously throughout the process of Constitution making.

‘There is fear now that the Provincial and District outreach programmes being conducted by the Parliamentary Select Committee are for academic purposes and that the parties in the inclusive government are half-hearted on facilitating a people-driven process.’

The pressure group added that since people did not participate in the authorship of the Kariba Draft, the Parliamentary Select Committee should not use it.

Activist cleared over anti-Mugabe posters

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By Lance Guma

Efforts by police in South Africa to have a human rights activist charged for putting up ‘Mugabe Go Home’ posters at the venue of Jacob Zuma’s inauguration, fell through this week. Kallie Kriel, who leads the civil rights initiative Afri-Forum, told Newsreel he put the posters on lampposts at the government Union Buildings last month, to protest the presence of Robert Mugabe in the country. He argued that Mugabe’s regime continued to commit human rights abuses, despite the formation of a coalition government.

Police in Pretoria sought to have Kriel charged for putting up the posters but a week ago he submitted to the State Prosecutor that the charges were politically motivated and violated his constitutional right to freedom of expression. He further argued that Afri-Forum had followed all the legal avenues available to stop Mugabe from visiting South Africa. State prosecutors eventually ruled in his favour and withdrew all the charges unconditionally.

Meanwhile Kriel contrasted Mugabe being allowed to visit South Africa with a denial of a visa for Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, by the same government. ‘The fact that the red carpet was rolled out for Mugabe in South Africa, immediately after 18 activists had been arrested in Zimbabwe, sends a negative message to the world regarding the South African government’s stance regarding human rights,’ Kriel stated.

Newsreel obtained a copy of Kriel’s presentation to state prosecutors and in it he details how he wrote several letters to Zuma’s office and the Department of Foreign Affairs, regarding Mugabe’s invitation. He said although the President’s Office acknowledged receiving them they did not respond to the contents. Kriel also listed Mugabe’s abuses, from Operation Murambatsvina to the crackdown on opposition activists and the arrest of journalists. He said the ignoring of a SADC tribunal ruling on the land issue showed that the coalition would do nothing to restore the rule of law in Zimbabwe.- SW Radio Africa

Amnesty International SG concludes visit

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(Harare) The human rights situation in Zimbabwe is precarious, and the socio-economic conditions are desperate for the vast majority of Zimbabweans, said Irene Khan, Amnesty International Secretary General, ending a six-day high level mission to Zimbabwe, during which she met with senior government ministers, human rights activists and victims of human rights violations.

“Persistent and serious human rights violations, combined with the failure to introduce reform of the police, army and security forces or address impunity and the lack of clear commitment on some parts of the government are real obstacles that need to be confronted by the top leadership of Zimbabwe.”

Amnesty International said that the Global Political Agreement (GPA) — which was signed by all main political parties and paved the way for the setting up of the Inclusive Government — provides a framework for change, but commitment to its implementation is not consistent throughout the government.

“The government must give as much attention to securing human rights reforms as they are to seeking economic resources,” said Irene Khan acknowledging the frank dialogue and open access given to Amnesty International by all parts of the government.

“There seems to be no sense of real urgency to bring about human rights changes on the part of some government leaders. Words have not been followed by effective action.”

“No serious efforts have been made to reform the security sector. No major investigation or prosecution has been brought against those responsible for state-sponsored political violence in recent years. Some elements of ZANU-PF still see the use of violence as a legitimate tool to crush political opponents.

“The combination of these factors could again generate grave human rights abuses in the lead up to future elections.”

Amnesty International’s assessment shows:

  • Human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers continue to be intimidated, harassed, threatened, arrested and charged.
  • Prosecutions continue against 15 political activists and human rights defenders abducted last year and against a number of Parliamentarians.
  • Seven MDC activists who were subject to “enforced disappearances” in 2008 remain untraced. Although Home Affairs Ministers assured Amnesty International that they were not in police custody, they admitted they had not been able to find out what happened to them.
  • The right to protest continues to be severely restricted. As recently as yesterday, a number of WOZA (Women of Zimbabwe Arise) activists were beaten by the police and seven were arrested for carrying out peaceful demonstrations.
  • Farm invasions persist, with violence affecting both farmers and farm workers.
  • Four years on, most of the victims of forced evictions during Operation Murambatsvina remain without adequate housing and redress.
  • There is a grave crisis in education.

“For the climate of intimidation to end President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai must make public statements clearly instructing all party activists to stop harassment, intimidation, and threats against perceived political opponents, including teachers and lawyers,” said Irene Khan.

As head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces and leader of the country for the last three decades, President Mugabe and those around him have a special responsibility to rise to the challenge of delivering on the GPA and particularly on the hard core human rights issues.

Despite the pledge in the GPA to bring all perpetrators of political violence to justice, senior ministers confirmed that addressing impunity is not a priority for the government right now.

“The tolerance of impunity is being seen as a license for further violations by perpetrators – whether police, security officials or political party activists,” said Irene Khan.

“The government’s blatant disregard of impunity is in sharp contrast to the demand for justice, redress and reparations from the victims and survivors of violence I met throughout Zimbabwe.

“Without justice there can be no real healing in a country polarized by political violence that goes back several decades. Neither national healing nor security sector reform can succeed without addressing impunity.”

Amnesty International said that they received no clear indication from the government as to whether, how or when institutional reform – particularly of the security sector – will take place.

“Whenever we raised the issue of human rights change, the government answered that it needed more resources,” said Irene Khan. “Ending attacks on human rights defenders, lifting restrictions on the media, and allowing public protests do not require more money – they only require political will.”

Amnesty International called for strengthening the voice of civil society which is critical in the absence of a Parliamentary opposition. The organization also called for the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression to be guaranteed.

“No meaningful debate can take place without freeing the media. Both national and international media should be allowed to operate freely. This would require neither additional money nor new laws.”

Although Amnesty International’s assessment of the human rights situation is grim, the organization said that the establishment of the Inclusive Government and the GPA have changed the political dynamic – and this is something that can and must be built upon both nationally and internationally.

“Divisions between African and Western governments have not helped to create a common understanding of the human rights problems in Zimbabwe,” said Irene Khan calling on the international community to overcome its polarization and support the Zimbabwean government to achieve its human rights goals. She also called on them to set common criteria for supporting and measuring the human rights performance of the government. Amnesty International called on President Zuma of South Africa, as Chair of SADC, to provide leadership.

The organization also called on the Zimbabwean government and the donor community to expand its humanitarian assistance and focus on primary education, saying that all primary school fees and levies must be abolished.

“Because of their inability to pay fees, parents are being forced to make impossible choices – between feeding their children or education them; between sending their son or their daughter to school,” said Irene Khan. “The children of Zimbabwe are paying too high a price for the political failure of their government.”

“Progress on human rights has been woefully slow. The people of Zimbabwe can no longer continue to be held hostage to the ambitions of their leaders.”

“The polarization that exists within Zimbabwean politics is mirrored in the polarization in the international community towards Zimbabwe and that is reducing the impact of external pressure on the country,” said Irene Khan.

“The international community must work together to develop a common human rights strategy on Zimbabwe and support the Zimbabwean government to deliver it.”  Issued by Amnesty International

Civil servants issue ultimatum over salaries

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Tendai Maronga

HARARE – Zimbabwean civil servants have given the country’s fragile power-sharing government up to next month to hike salaries or face a nationwide job boycott that could cripple the administration.

The cash-strapped Harare government, which is paying a US$100 monthly allowance to civil servants, had promised to hike the payments but a trip to America and Europe by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has to date failed to raise any significant amounts of aid.

The Public Service Association (PSA), an umbrella union for government workers, said in a circular to members this week that a meeting with civil servants in the capital, Harare, had resolved that all public workers go on strike should the government fail to hike salaries or allowances.

The circular, signed by PSA president Cecilia Alexander Kowa, read in part: “The PSA leadership has met with the members in Harare who have resolved to give government time up until the July pay sheet to improve on salaries and conditions of service, therefore the intended job action has been put on hold until early July 2009.

“We have agreed that as soon as Government gets some funds it will improve on the US$100 allowance. If there is no improvement then, the members promise to take action.”

The PSA issued the circular days after meeting with Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro earlier this month to try to reach agreement on salaries.

Mukonoweshuro told ZimOnline the government was working to mobilise resources to improve remuneration and conditions of service for public workers, urging civil servants to be patient with the administration that has been in office for only five months.

“I appreciate that there is need to review the allowances and the ministry would not waste time to act on the issue if resources come at our disposal. At the moment the situation is challenging because the government has not been able to get funds,” said Mukonoweshuro.

Inadequate salaries had resulted in frequent strikes by civil servants that crippled President Robert Mugabe’s old government.

But the new unity administration formed by Mugabe and Tsvangirai last February quickly moved to pay hard cash allowances to teachers, doctors, nurses and all civil servants to try to woo them back to work as part of a drive to get Zimbabwe functioning again and on the road to recovery.

However analysts say the Harare administration’s ability to get Zimbabwe functioning again hinges on its ability to raise financial support from rich Western countries that have however said they will not immediately help until they are convinced Mugabe is committed to genuinely share power with Tsvangirai. – ZimOnline

Tsvangirai To Tell UK Exiles, Come Home

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Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

Morgan Tsvangirai will deliver a passionate appeal this week to Zimbabwe refugees and asylum seekers living in Britain to return home to help to rebuild their shattered country.

In a two-hour address at Southwark Cathedral before evensong on Saturday afternoon, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe will argue that his country has made important progress towards democracy and stability.

He will tell the thousands of Zimbabweans who have fled during Robert Mugabe’s rule that their country needs their skills, youth and vigour to help it move further along the path to recovery.

Mr Tsvangirai, who is on a three-week world tour to boost his country’s standing in the West, will also meet Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling in an effort to secure financial support for Zimbabwe and political support for his party, the Movement for Democratic Change.

Mr Tsvangirai’s host on Saturday, Colin Slee, the Dean of Southwark, told The Times: “He is going around the world to try and persuade governments that now they have some power sharing at last, the better way out of this mess for governments is to support the country. They can do this by giving money. He is coming to the cathedral primarily to meet the Zimbabwean people in exile. He is going to say to them, ’You have real skills and abilities, please choose your moment and come home to Zimbabwe to help rebuild your country.”

Dean Slee said many of the asylum seekers were living in difficult circumstances in Britain. He admitted that like many, he feared a “blood bath” when Mugabe loses power. He hoped the southern African spirit would prevail to enable “truth and reconciliation” as happened in South Africa.

Mr Tsvangirai has chosen Southwark Cathedral to deliver his message because the diocese is linked to four of the five Anglican dioceses in Zimbabwe, with the cathedral itself linked to a diocese of its own. Anglicans in Zimbabwe have suffered terrible privations in an episcopal power struggle that has seen worshippers locked out of churches and intimidated and persecuted by the regime.

A former Anglican bishop of Harare, the disgraced Nolbert Kunonga, an ally of Robert Mugabe, attempted to split the church and set up his own province with himself as archbishop, taking funds and property from the legitimate church.

Church doors have now been opened, however, and the new bishop, Sebastian Bakare, who keeps the chains that were used to lock the door of Harare Cathedral in a bag in his office, led Anglicans in Easter celebrations in the building this year for the first time in two years.

An appeal set up by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu, has raised £300,000 to help the churches provide food and health care for the victims of the nation’s crisis. The Times

EU lifts travel ban on Mugabe ministers

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Harare – The European Union (EU) has temporarily agreed to lift a travel ban on two Zimbabwean cabinet ministers from President Robert Mugabe’s party, following Mugabe’s threat to call off re- engagement talks with Brussels, officials said Wednesday.

‘This was a temporary visa waiver. It was a decision made after a consultation of all EU partners (in Zimbabwe) and Brussels,’ said Stephane Toulet, the deputy French ambassador to Zimbabwe.

‘The decision is meant to promote human rights and good governance in Zimbabwe and to re-engage Zimbabwe with the EU,’ said Toulet, whose country is processing the visas in the absence of a Belgian diplomatic mission in Harare.

In 2002, the EU slapped Mugabe and dozens of his cronies with targeted sanctions, including travel bans, to protest over human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

Patrick Chinamasa and Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zimbabwe’s ministers of justice and foreign affairs respectively, are on the sanctions list.

The EU had initially declined to give the men visas to join former opposition leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at talks this week in Brussels with EU officials. Ministers from Tsvangirai’s MDC and a breakaway faction of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara are also slated to take part.

On Tuesday, Mugabe had warned he would call off the mission unless the visa ban on his ministers was waived. A minister from Mutambara’s MDC had also vowed to boycott the trip unless his Zanu-PF opposite numbers were included.

The MDC’s number two, Tendai Biti, however ignored the threat and left for Belgium Tuesday.

The remaining ministers are expected in Brussels Thursday.

Tsvangirai is on a three-week long trip to United States and EU to try repair relations damaged during the past decade of Mugabe’s autocratic rule and secure aid towards rebuilding Zimbabwe’s battered economy. DPA

Muchadehama trial fails to commence

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The trial of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) member and prominent human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama failed to commence on Wednesday 17 June 2009 under unclear circumstances.

The State Prosecutor only identified as Andrew Kumire told defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa that the State was delaying the trial as it wants to jointly put him on trial with an unidentified person. Kumire refused to call the Magistrate to preside over the trial and indicated that the State will proceed by way of summons in bringing Muchadehama, who is accused of obstructing or defeating the course of justice to court for trial.

Meanwhile, Harare Magistrate Jackie Munyonga on Wednesday 17 June 2009 deferred to Thursday 18 June 2009 a ruling on an application for bail by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Director-General Toendepi Shone, who was arrested on Tuesday 16 June 2009 upon reporting to Harare Central Police Station.

Shonhe who is accused of perjury and of violating Section 183 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act is alleged to have deposed to an affidavit for a High Court application falsely stating that three MDC members had been abducted by State security agents early this month.

The three namely Terry Musona, Lloyd Tarumba and Fanny Tembo whom the State has listed as State witnesses in the pending trial of several MDC members and human rights activists who were abducted in 2008 for allegedly engaging in banditry and insurgency activities and plotting to unseat President Robert Mugabe’s previous administration were reported missing from their homes in Banket in early June. They were later located and Shonhe withdrew his application from the High Court.

In his application for bail defence lawyer Alec Muchadehama whose trial failed to commence in the morning told Magistrate Munyonga that Shonhe was a proper candidate for bail in that he had reported to the police after the publication of a story in the state-controlled Herald newspaper stating that he had committed perjury and faces arrest.

Muchadehama said such actions clearly demonstrated that Shonhe doesn’t have any intentions to run away from the charges.

The defence lawyer indicated that the State’s case is very weak in that the State is simply interpreting Shonhe’s sworn in affidavit to suit their own ends.

Muchadehama said Shonhe filed the application in the High Court to simply protect the disadvantaged persons of his party who were once abducted and held incommunicado and tortured for several months in 2008.

Muchadehama proposed that Shonhe deposits US$200 in bail money and that he continues to reside at his given residential address until the case is finalized. He also proposed that Shonhe would report once every week on Fridays to Law and Order Section of the Harare Central Police Station and to surrender his passport.

However, State Prosecutor Allen Masiya opposed bail on that grounds that Shonhe was likely to interfere with State witnesses. Magistrate Munyonga then set her ruling on Shonhe’s application for bail on Thursday 18 June 2009 at 14:15 PM.

Ncube to boycott EU trip over visa row

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Industry and Trade Minister Welshman Ncube who is also Secretary General of a splinter MDC faction has threatened to pull out of a European re-engagement tour if Zanu PF ministers are not given travel visas.

The European Union has so far refused to give visas to Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has been on a world tour with three ministers, from each of Zanu-PF, the MDC and the Mutambara MDC.

This week however three more ministers, Chinamasa, Mumbengegwi and Finance Minister Tendai Biti were meant to join Tsvangirai in Brussels, Belgium for a meeting. Speaking to the German Press Agency (DPA) Ncube said ‘we are supposed to go tomorrow but it depends on whether the other members can get the visas.’

Ncube added that any barring of Chinamasa would mean, ‘no launch of reengagement (with the EU).

In a separate incident, Britain has refused to issue a visa for Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, also of Zanu-PF, who planned on attending a mining conference in the country this week. The cabinet sources say Mugabe dispatched Mutambara to try to intervene with the British and French ambassadors in Harare on the issue.

Tourism minister Walter Mzembi was barred from meeting US President Barack Obama last Friday much to the chagrin of his Zanu PF party. Mzembi is reported to have expressed shock at the decision because earlier he had met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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